Sessions & Speakers

Passport to Leadership

With the world as our classroom, there are lessons to be learned about leadership from every corner of the globe. With a heart for storytelling and a penchant for design, world traveler Harriet Tolputt takes us along the unlikely journey that not only landed her in Washington, D.C., but put her at the center of 190 countries—leading the 50-person in-house agency at the International Monetary Fund (IMF). We’ll learn about resilience from South Sudan, innovation from Afghanistan, and having fun from California—all of which have not only shaped Harriet’s approach to leadership but continue to inform her philosophy today.

Harriet Tolputt, Division Chief – Creative, International Monetary Fund

Harriet is a storyteller, strategist, innovator and academic. For 20 years, she worked as a journalist covering top international news stories including wars in Afghanistan and Lebanon, national elections, and natural disasters before transitioning her skills to fight poverty as deputy communications director for Oxfam. Her specialty lies in using storytelling, along with behavioral science insights and design thinking for influencing and brand marketing. Harriet is a former trustee of the International Broadcasting Trust, served as a judge for the Royal Television Society News Program of the Year Award, and holds a PhD in media and criminology. Today, she heads up in-house creative agency at the IMF.

One Team, One Dream

One of the best things about working for a global brand is the assortment of talent, skillsets and belief systems that exist across the company. At the same time, that diversity of people and perspectives can be tough to unify—making leadership that much more important when it comes to aligning culture and connections across backgrounds and geographies. As the in-house agency supporting a multinational enterprise, the draftLine team at AB InBev has evolved a unified workforce that is as diverse as it is focused. In this session, we’ll hear how their team came together, what keeps them together, and why their commitment to each other drives innovation in both the work they do and how they get it done.

Tracy Stallard, Global VP, draftLine, Anheuser-Busch InBev

Tracy is a builder. Throughout her 10 years at Anheuser-Busch InBev, she has built new teams, new capabilities, and new approaches to brand development. She has also evolved the Consumer Connections discipline (media, experiential and content) to bring a digital-first approach to marketing.  Tracy believes that consumer understanding enabled by data and culture can unlock innovative ways to connect with people and build brands with true utility. Previously, Tracy lead US Media for AB InBev including five consecutive Super Bowls and countless Clydesdale moments. In 2018, she co-founded draftLine, AB InBev’s internal agency, and currently serves as global head of its 11 offices around the world. Her passion for building and creating started early, having graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a degree in civil engineering.

The Value of Disruption

Teams often rely on legacy processes when launching digital campaigns. And, this creates pain points for those on the front lines who are responsible for activating the work. There's an easy way to remove this friction, giving in-house agencies (and their partners) greater visibility and control. In this sponsor session, we’ll hear about a simple practice that’s transforming the marketing workflow. Told through the lens of a leadership initiative that centers on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, we’ll gain insight into how disruption can fuel innovation and spark positive change.

Courtney Allen, Director of Client Relations, Extreme Reach

Courtney is responsible for collaborating with sales, talent managers and client service teams to plan, build and nurture client relationships. With 15+ years in advertising, experience in education, and a lifelong love for the arts, Courtney has leveraged her multi-disciplined background to craft a unique space in her field. Interfacing across clients, she focuses on creating a clear vision of clients’ needs, identifying opportunities, and providing competitive, one-of-a-kind solutions that improve business performance. Courtney also chairs Extreme Reach’s DE&I Committee—educating individuals, amplifying voices, promoting accountability, and creating awareness and opportunity for meaningful change in the industry.

Brand Leadership in ACTion

For over 25 years, Mary Kay Inc.’s internal brand and creative agency, the Pink House, has supported the success of millions of female entrepreneurs across the globe by excelling in ACT: Agility, Creativity, and Teamwork. From award-winning package design to engaging social media content to immersive virtual experiences, the Pink House team ensures that the company’s Independent Beauty Consultants are the best representatives of the Mary Kay brand that they can be. By embracing the leadership principles of company founder, Mary Kay Ash, leaders of the Pink House inspire a diverse group of writers, designers and digital strategists to create all of the marketing content to ensure that the Mary Kay brand is as relevant as it is irresistible in nearly 40 countries worldwide.

Sheryl Adkins-Green, Chief Marketing Officer, Mary Kay Inc.

Sheryl supports the success of millions of women entrepreneurs by leading the global marketing strategy, new product development, advertising, digital marketing, social media, and customer insights that make the Mary Kay brand “irresistible!” Previously, Sheryl held executive positions with Alberto-Culver, Cadbury-Schweppes, Citigroup and Kraft Foods. Sheryl was named to Black Enterprise’s list of the Most Powerful Women in Corporate America in 2019. She has also been recognized as one of the Most Influential Women in Direct Selling and one of the Top Women in Marketing Technology. Sheryl earned a BS from the University of Wisconsin and an MBA from Harvard Business School, and she serves on the boards of the Dallas Museum of Art and Texas Christian University.

How Cisco is Powering an Inclusive Future

Launched in the fall of 2018, The Bridge to Possible is the most effective brand campaign in Cisco’s history—highlighting the company’s thought leadership, technology, innovation, customers and people. In January 2020, Cisco announced its new company purpose: To Power an Inclusive Future for All. Little did they know how prophetic their pronouncement would be with COVID 19 gripping the world just weeks later. Since its inception, The Bridge to Possible campaign has featured stories about women, particularly those overcoming challenges against the odds. In this session, we’ll hear how Cisco’s in-house agency, The Hatch, evolved the campaign to reflect the new company purpose while continuing to share stories about inspirational women who are using Cisco technology to make the world a better place.

Patti Cocciolo, Senior Director, Global Brand Marketing, Cisco Systems, Inc.

Patti co-leads the in-house agency at Cisco, the innovative networking, cloud, and security solutions company that helps customers transform their businesses with the goal of powering an inclusive future for all. Previously, Patti spent most of her advertising career on the external agency side, working in account management on some of the world’s most recognizable brands including Wrangler Jeans, HP, AT&T and IBM. Cisco is Patti’s first client-side role, where she is responsible for brand strategy and brand content strategy in addition to leading Cisco’s in-house broadcast team, Cisco TV, and Cisco’s in-house creative agency, The Hatch. The Hatch was named IHAF’s 2020 In-House Agency of the Year and the ANA’s 2020 B2B In-House Agency of the Year.

Leading Positive Change—A Fireside Chat

Leading a marketing organization within the Washington, D.C. region means you’re surrounded by politics, activism and philanthropy, with the business of our nation’s capital influencing how all business is conducted. For years, Jennifer Cortner and Beth Johnson have shared a passion for using their respective adverting, marketing and communications prowess for good, eventually partnering to co-produce a campaign for the Washington Area Women's Foundation that helped shape the nonprofit’s leadership and business strategies. In this fireside chat, we’ll hear how Jen and Beth combine their dedication to enabling women and girls to thrive with their mutual commitment to justice and equality to give voice to underserved communities, raise awareness of critical issues, and motivate audiences to take action for change.

Jennifer Cortner, Senior Director, Global Marketing, Hilton

For over a decade, Jen has been a pivotal in-house agency leader and contributor to the IHAF community. At Hilton, she leads the Marketing Operations and Creative Studio teams, responsible for driving innovation, operational excellence, and marketing effectiveness across Hilton’s brand portfolio. Previously, Jen was head of partnerships and Creative Operations at Discovery Communications, where she built strategic relationships with media, corporate and non-profit partners. Prior to that, she oversaw account service at Discovery’s in-house agency leading the creative strategy and execution of print, digital and broadcast promotions in support of 17 networks. Before Discovery, Jen was president of EFX Media where she created broadcast and interactive campaigns for corporations, trade associations and non-profits.

Beth Johnson, Founder & CEO, RP3 Agency

Beth leads an award-winning creative communications agency whose client roster includes brands like Marriott International, Norfolk Southern, and The Coca-Cola Company. Beth started her agency career at The Dan Rosenthal Co., advancing through the ranks of account leadership as a marketing strategist. In 2009, she launched RP3—a new agency model to meet the changing needs of marketers during a transformative time in the industry. Beyond advertising, Beth is deeply committed to improving the community, serving on the boards of Junior Achievement of Greater Washington, Washington Area Women’s Foundation, Leadership Greater Washington, and Greater Washington Board of Trade.